Former KARA member Jiyoung continues to make moves in Japan, this time bagging a prominent lead-role in a feature film. Titled “Reon”, the film is based off of a manga by the same name created by Kaori Ookura and Kiyoshi Tomohide. Published in the magazine “Hot-Dog PRESS” it quickly grew in popularity among it’s readers.

In “Reon” Jiyoung plays the role of Reon Takanashi, a slightly frumpy/plain office lady who doesn’t really think much of herself. In a short time-span she gets fired from her job and dumped by her boyfriend. Following the streak of bad luck Reon eventually finds work again as a dispatch employee at Asahina Foods, one of Japan’s prominent manufacturing and processing conglomerates. Reon eventually meets the boss of the company Reo Asahina played by veteran actor Naoto Takenaka. While he is truly capable of being a great boss and putting in hard-work, that tends to get sidetracked due to him being a womanizer.
The two are eventually involved in a traffic accident which leads to a “Freak Friday” switch of their bodies, which naturally results in a lot of funny situations. Reon tries her best to run the company and act as a boss, meanwhile Reo relishes in being inside the body of a woman. Reo does a makeover while in Reon’s body bringing out her hidden “beauty potential”, and uses those looks to become a very successful cabaret hostess. One day at the hostess bar Reo stumbles upon his nephew and a man that turns out to be Reon’s ex-boyfriend, who are plotting to get him removed from the company.

Since graduating from KARA in 2014 Jiyoung has stayed active in Japan appearing in many supporting roles in dramas and doing modeling work. In 2016 she released her debut Japanese single “Saigo no Sayonara”. Her debut album “Many Faces ~Tamensei~” will be released on May 10th, 2017.

Comments

1996liner

Looks like she’s doing pretty good in Japan. Everytime I read Majide, comments towards kpop, and Korea/hallyu in general were always racist not that I generalized Japan but I just thought she’d have a very hard time making it and I was scared for her but it looks like things are looking up for her.

I

She’s been accepted very positively. Even GC is saying she’s a hard worker and they appreciate it.

PigeonPop

I’ve noticed this too. She is one of, if not the only K-act to not get thrashed over at 2ch or GC. The effort she puts into her career activities, and the fact that she actually knows her stuff (citing idioms and quotes from literature; familiarity with the Japanese film industry etc.) have really helped in her favor. I strongly recommend her Another Sky episode to anyone who hasn’t watched it yet.

Ryuzaki Raiga

the reason why they accept her because she know how to carry herself in japanese society unlike younger K-POP generation.

Ryusei

yaaaas jiyoung land those lead roles <3

Karen Khoo

Uwaa hwaiting JY!!

Midori

lol…when I was reading the description I was just waiting until we got to the “plain woman gets makeover, becomes supergorgeous and suddenly all men are falling for her” part. And it’s right there in the third paragraph. Like, can we stop with this boring plot device already? It has been done hundreds of times already and it doesn’t get less sexist with time.

ʕ￫ᴥ￩ʔ

She’ll probably also start by wearing glasses and suddenly he takes them off and her beauty will suddenly shine though.. sigh. OTL

Ryuzaki Raiga

japanese entertainment tend to overuse same theme in industries, for example cliche from police drama still existed until this day eventhough they popularized back in 90’s